Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a radiation-emitting semiconductor component which transmits a cone of radiation along an optical axis, including at least one semiconductor body transmitting radiation, a first electrical terminal part having a first head part and a first terminal lead, a second electrical terminal part having a second head part and a second terminal lead, and an integral sealing sheath, in particular formed integrally through the use of a casting technique from a material, especially plastic, that is at least partly permeable to the radiation, a first electrical contact of the semiconductor body being electrically conductively connected to the first head part, a second electrical contact of the semiconductor body being electrically conductively connected to the second head part, the sealing sheath enclosing the semiconductor body and the first and second head parts, the sealing sheath having a radiation exit surface and a bottom surface disposed on opposite sides of the sealing sheath, and the first and second terminal leads protruding through the bottom surface out of the sealing sheath.
The invention relates in particular to semiconductor components that emit infrared radiation (such as IR light emitting diodes or LEDs), for instance for use in infrared remote controls for television sets and radios, video recorders, light dimmers, etc., for remote controls for appliances, and for electric eyes for direct and alternating light operation, and light emitting diodes that emit visible light.
Such semiconductor components are available on the market and are described, for instance, in the Siemens brochure entitled "Lumineszenzdioden Qualitat und Zuverlassigkeit" [Light-Emitting Diodes Quality and Reliability], subject document 09.90, published by Siemens AG, Semiconductor Division, Marketing Communications, Munich, January 1991, and in the Siemens Shipment Program 07.94, entitled "Optohalbleiter und Sensoren" [Optical Semiconductor and Sensors], published by Siemens AG, Semiconductor Division, Marketing Communications, Munich, pp. 18-33. Mounting such semiconductor components on a PCB (printed circuit board) in a circuit configuration is performed by inserting the terminal parts, which are constructed as solder spikes, through bores in the PCB and then soldering them. However, because of the fact that today nearly all other electronic components are constructed to be surface-mountable, that entails especially great additional mounting expense. Surface mounting technology, which is also known as SMT, is a familiar method in semiconductor technology for securing semiconductor elements and will therefore not be described in further detail herein.
In a surface mountable LED unit which is known from German Published, Non-Prosecuted Patent Application DE 44 41 477 A1, a conventional so-called radial LED is inserted into a sleeve-like plastic housing with a protrusion forming a bearing surface and with a centering pin and recesses for receiving ends of electrical terminals. Producing such components entails relatively major technological effort and expense, especially since the dimensions of the plastic sheath and of the sleeve-like plastic housing cannot be allowed to have overly great tolerances, if a sufficiently accurate fit of the two parts is to be attained.